Observe The Banana

Every year the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) holds a student film festival (video making contest) they call the UMMys. The entrants vary widely in quality and subject matter and tend to include a lot of teen angst and zombies. Several years ago one entrant stood head and (large metallic) shoulders above the rest. It was called “Rumspringa! The Musical” and was about an amish girl going on her traditional rumspringa to the city and falling in love with a recently unemployed phone answering robot. All songs are written (except the Electric Slide) and performed by the students and it is clever, funny and totally worth watching, cheesy robot costume and all.   Sadly the entire 30 minute production appears to no longer be available on YouTube, but two of the best (IMHO) musical numbers from it are still available for your viewing pleasure.

Your robot overlords command you to click the play buttons below…

Every film needs an internet trailer…..

[Rumspringa! The Musical on MySpace]

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
A strange and wonderful book about two men trying to create a network of free wireless internet access across the city using found electronics. Only one of the men has a father who is a mountain and a mother who is a washing machine. “My father kept a roof over our head, and my mother kept our clothes clean”. One of his brothers is an island, while three others are Russian nesting dolls, and yet another can see the future. Perhaps all an elaborate strange metaphor about family history and family dynamics, it is also about trying to fit in the world when you leave home, while dealing with the family baggage you carry with you. Manages to nail that strange conflict of forces in an outsider who looks down with disdain on society, while at the same time wishing they just knew how to fit in.
One odd bit of business in this book is that the sons in this family each go by a variety of names, differentiated only by beginning letter. The text will switch names for the same person multiple times in a paragraph, or even mid sentence.  As in something like, “Adam walked into the room and said hi to Daniel. Hi Able, says David, How are you Devon, said Adric.” Presumably a statement on self identity which I never exactly nailed down.
An excellent, compelling, and sometimes a bit disturbing read which left me with a lot to think about. Also available as Creative Commons free download. Read it!

My Favorite Record by Asylum Street Spankers

I have really been enjoying this awesome bizarre CD. Hard to classify the genre really. It’s jazz, it’s swing, it’s blues, and throw in some mountain music and a bit of good rock and roll and you almost have it covered. Great high quality music spiced with wonderful crazy weird funky lyrics – its a win all the way. One favorite lyric that sticks in my head: “I kiss you through the screen door on a submarine, if you promise you’ll stop eating all the cat food…”.
Sadly it looks like it is out of print, but Amazon has some used CD available, grab em up! Or you can download the title song “My Favorite Record” as an MP3. A wonderful genre spanning homage to that old favorite record you play over and over again to keep you heading the right direction on life’s rails.

Check it out!

“Large 1970s banana-shaped resin floor lamp by Louis Durot, with one light.”

Over at 1stdibs.com they are selling a giant banana lamp from the 1970’s. At close to 7ft tall this is one serious banana to have in your house. I want it. They won’t even show the price without registering and logging in first, and there is shipping from France.

[1stdibs via BoingBoing]